On Tour
by CaseyL
Summary: Some drabbles of Deacon and Rayna finally doing that tour that they talked about in season 1. Each chapter will be a week of the tour.
1. Chapter 1

**Week One**

 **Day 1**

They kiss the girls goodbye and climb into the towncar that races off towards the airport. Rayna hates leaving them alone, especially now that Teddy is in prison. Deacon reminds her that Tandy took six months off of work to stay with the girls while they're on tour, so they're not really alone. He also admits that he already misses them.

##

They board the plane followed by Bucky, and then Scarlett and Gunnar who will be opening for them. It's a far cry from where they started when they first did this type of tour 25 years ago. Old beat up busses, and days spent cramped in tiny beds that could barely sleep one, have turned into a quick two hour flight in their Highway 65 private jet. Rayna leans her head against Deacon's shoulder and reminds him of all the fun they had tangled up in those tiny beds. Deacon slips his hand under her skirt and in between her thighs and whispers how he wishes they were in one of those beds right now.

##

They check into the hotel in Chicago. They have the top floor penthouse. It's two floors with a gigantic crystal chandelier hanging from the center of the room. Rayna likes how it sparkles and creates designs on the tile floor below. Deacon thinks it's gaudy and draws the curtains so the only thing he can see is the outline of Rayna's womanly frame as she unpacks their bags.

There was a cocktail party thrown in their honor to launch the tour, but they didn't seem to make it. They assured each other that Scarlett and Gunnar, and Bucky, poor Bucky, could handle the press without them. They tried to make it, they really did, but then Rayna needed help zipping up the sexy silver dress she'd bought especially for nights like these, and halfway zipped up turned into unzipped and on the floor the moment she asked Deacon for help.

##

She stirs in her sleep. No matter how long she's been doing this it always takes her a few nights to get used to sleeping on the road. When she wakes up in a different hotel room every couple of days, remembering where she is can be hard. They all have high thread count sheets and beautiful silk pillows, but none of them are home. It's not the comforter that Daphne threw up on when she got the flu, or the bedside table with a purple spot on it from when Maddie decided she wanted to be an interior decorator. She's trying to get used to the feel of the crisp white linens when she feels Deacon pull her into his body. He casually throws his left leg over her hip, as he draws her in with his strong arm and nuzzles her neck. It's been nearly 16 years since she's shared a bed with someone while on tour. Right away she feels at home, and she drifts off into peaceful sleep.

 **Day 2**

Rayna is having a diva dip. Her ears aren't right, and the light that's on her is too bright and distracting. Deacon can see it's just nerves. She's worried about doing a stripped down show like they used to do. She was nervous about it three years ago when Watty first brought up the idea of she and Deacon going out on the road together, but she's even more nervous now that she hasn't been touring for over a year while she was taking care of him, and it's _her_ label that's on the line. She's screaming at the lighting people that "we ain't in no prison yard y'all, so the light doesn't need to be that bright," when Deacon reaches over and places his hand on her knee. She stops and looks up into his eyes, and all of a sudden she's forgotten what was bothering her so much.

##

Scarlett and Gunnar go on first. Deacon and Rayna stand in the wings holding hands. People keep comparing the new duo to the older couple, and Rayna and Deacon understand why, but they can see that the similarities are only on the surface. Scarlett and Gunnar make beautiful music together on stage. Rayna and Deacon make beautiful music together wherever life takes them.

##

It's not their first time out on stage together in three years, but it's the first time in a venue this big. Funny, they used to play to audiences three times the size of this when they were doing arena tours with the band back in the day, but this is just the two of them. They're pouring their hearts out to each other again. They're letting people see a part of them that they kept carefully hidden for decades, sometimes even from each other. As soon as the song starts though they've both forgotten the audience. There is no one there but each other. Rayna reaches out and rubs Deacon's arm. Deacon entwines his large fingers with her slender ones. They are connected: physically, emotionally, spiritually. They are entranced by the music, and so is the audience. They barely hear the audience erupt in applause, but then they do, and it's all they hear. They turn away from each other toward the audience, but they are still connected.

 **Day 5**

It's their day off, but the phone rings at 7:30am. Deacon grumbles and says "you answer it, it's your phone." Rayna replies, "I would but it's on your side of the bed. Remember, you threw my jeans in the corner last night, and it was in the pocket." Deacon flashes his most wicked smile to no one in particular since his head is still under the pillow, then he reaches down on the floor until he finds first Rayna's jeans, and then the phone.

It's Maddie. She's rambling on about how Daphne borrowed her favorite top and she spilled juice on it, and so in return she took Daphne's ukulele, and now Daphne purposefully embarrassed her in front of this new boy that she likes. Deacon doesn't respond. He just hands the phone to Rayna and says "it's for you." Five minutes later Deacon can still hear Maddie going on about the shirt and the boy as Rayna just nods her head and responds as if she's more interested in this than anything else in her life. He's amazed how she can do this. He loves being a dad, but this he hasn't mastered yet. He pushes the pillow aside and sits up rubbing her shoulders in appreciation. In this family they each have their roles and they know it.

##

It's noon and they're still in bed. There was a walk to the door to get the room service about two hours ago, but that was it. Rayna lies with her head on Deacon's chest and her hair splayed out so it tickles his chin. She's lightly tracing his scar with her finger. First she does the tale part of the Y, then she moves down first to the left branch, then back to the center, and down the right leg. "Does it hurt?" she asks. Deacon replies with a soft moan. "No, feels good wherever you touch me." Rayna picks up the signal and moves her fingers down lower until they are wrapped around his manhood. Deacon moans louder and they both realize they're never going to see the sun today.

##

The sun is setting over Philadelphia and it's a ball of fire in the sky. Hot pinks and oranges stream in through the openings in the silk curtains. It's magic hour, both for the light and for writing music. Deacon has his guitar out as they both play with lyrics. _Our love burns like an evening sun on fire, can't stop the flames of our desire._ They both nod at each other that they like the line and it's committed to paper, soon to be sung by thousands of fans that hear it at their show the next night, and then buy the single when it comes out on Itunes 8 months later. But for right now, it's just a feeling between a man and a woman who are constantly aware that days like this may have eluded them forever if they hadn't been so lucky.

 **Day 7**

Deacon's throat is soar. It's a side effect of some of the medicine he's on to keep his new liver running properly. He's nervous he's going to let Rayna down so he's acting out. He's yelling that she's taking too long in the shower and they'll be late for their press conference. She knows he doesn't really care how late she is, he's been living with it for nearly 30 years. She leans out, soap in hair. "Well if you're so worried about being late, we'll save time if we shower together." Deacon joins her in the shower even though he knows that will make them even later. He gently washes the soap out of her hair as he kisses her shoulders and collarbone. Then he pushes her up against the shower wall and makes her scream until her throat is soar too.

##

Rayna and Deacon sit on the counter in their dressing room. She holds his hand and brings it to her mouth kissing the back of it. When he opens his mouth a scratchy whisper comes out despite all the tea and honey he consumed today. She can see that he's frustrated and she's hoping her actions are soothing him, but she can also see in his eyes that he feels like he's let her down. "It's fine babe, we'll just drop the duets and you can just play guitar while I sing."

"This show is about the duets," Deacon croaks. "It's what they've paid to see." Rayna reaches up and runs her hand over Deacon's scruff. "They've paid to see Deacon Claybourne and Rayna Jaymes on stage together and that's what they're going to get. They're going to love us."

##

They do love them, especially when they do a love song, and Deacon's wordless chords on his guitar are so sweet and melancholy that he has the whole audience crying by the bridge. They're honest with the audience and tell them the reason behind Deacon's silence. Rayna had said to him that this was his truth, and he had nothing to be ashamed of, and he had realized she was right. These weren't the days of him passing out drunk in some honkey tonk bar a mile away from the venue. As long as he's showing up sober, he isn't letting her down.

##

It's midnight. The crowds have all left and the clean up crew is making its way through the theater. Rayna and Deacon stand up in the cheap seats looking down at the stage. "I thought we did this before a show?" Rayna asks, wondering why Deacon has pulled her up here at this hour. He wraps his arms around her from behind and rests his chin on her shoulder. "Right there Ray." He reaches out pointing at a spot on the stage. "Right in that spot 25 years ago. That's when I knew I wanted to marry you."

"What?" She asks turning to look at him without pulling out of his warm embrace. "You had your bangs up to here, and a bunch of tacky rhinestones on your jean jacket and you were belting out a song, and I knew, right at that moment that I would die with the name Rayna Jaymes on my lips."

Rayna smiles and turns back to the stage, which is why she doesn't notice at first when Deacon pulls out a ring and slips it on her left ring finger. She doesn't say anything, she just looks down at the solitary diamond on her finger, a ring that's only been there for seconds, but she knows she'll wear for the rest of her days. She pulls Deacon's arms around her tighter as he kisses her neck. "I love you Ray." "I love you too babe."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks everyone for the reviews. Much appreciated.**

 **##**

 **Week 2**

 **Day 2**

They have the plane for long trips, but they're still on the bus for shorter ones. Right now they're somewhere in between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and Deacon swears that they just drove past a horse and buggy. Rayna thinks he's crazy, but then Bucky sees one too, and Deacon gives her a look that says "see, you shoulda believed me." He and Scarlett are huddled in the booth around the table writing a song about family while eating dried cranberries and trail mix. Road food. Deacon had brought a bag of it from Nashville including six bags of beef jerky which Rayna said she'd never touch if her life depended on it, but he did catch her sneaking the yogurt covered almonds when no one was looking.

##

Everyone on the bus noticed Rayna's new ring the moment she arrived coffee in hand, but the duo hadn't said anything yet, so they were letting it lie. They all figured that after the amount of time it took them to get here, it was up to them to decide when they wanted to share the news. Rayna knew that the moment she stepped out on stage tonight the cat would be out of the bag, but right now it was just them and their daughters that were sharing in the glow, and they liked it that way.

##

They have to go right to the venue when the bus arrives. Deacon's voice is back, and he's humming to himself as he sets up his guitars. Seven for this show. Gunnar comments that it seems like a lot, but Rayna remembers a tour they did where Deacon played thirteen. "Each guitar is like a person with their own special voice," he says. "This one's kind of raspy." He plucks a few chords out so Gunnar can hear the strain in the notes. "And this one's as smooth as a baby's bottom." He's right of course, they do all sound different, especially when he plays them. "Not everyone can make those guitars sing like that," the stagehand says to Gunnar when Deacon has gone back to tuning his Gibson. "And that's why they call him Freakin Deacon Claybourne."

##

The show is over with. Another success. They're all at an after party thrown for them by some local music journalists. It's pretty much standard after every show. In all the years of playing music, these have been Deacon's least favorite part. Even back in the days when he could still down a shot of whiskey with a beer chaser before anyone even approached him he would have preferred to be drinking up in the suite. Tonight he'd like to be as inconspicuous as possible as he downs his glass of seltzer in one gulp, but he knows he can't, he needs to be there for Rayna. She's been fielding questions about the engagement all night while he stands there and adds the occasional "we're delighted." Most of them have been congratulatory: "I bet it feels wonderful to finally be heading towards marriage with the person you've loved this long." Some were prying: "When's the big day? Where y'all gonna do it? How'd he pop the question?" Some of them have even been snarky: "You actually going to make it down the aisle this time Rayna?" They smile at each other in that way they do where they can have a whole conversation without speaking because what none of them know, not even their kids, is that they quietly went down to city hall yesterday and became husband and wife before they even got their morning coffee and donut. There will be a big party later with friends and family, but this will forever be just between them, and they like it that way.

 **Day 3**

Tonight is the second of two Pittsburgh shows, so they have the day to themselves. Deacon wants to catch a Steeler's game despite Rayna's total lack of interest in the sport. She agrees to go to the game if he'll go with her to shop in the Strip District. Hours of shopping doesn't rank high on Deacon's list, but the two make the trade. Rayna gets so into the game that she starts yelling that the ref is a jerk for making a call, even though she doesn't understand what she's yelling about. Deacon stuffs his face with chocolate cupcakes with Italian flags in them at Colangelo's Bakery. Both agree it's a perfect day.

##

Scarlett and Gunnar are fighting again between sets and it's only week two. Rayna suddenly realizes what Deacon was talking about when he said he was a little concerned that their immaturity could get the best of them. He loves his niece, but she's only 26, and she still has a few years to learn that you never want your love life to get in the way of the music. He and Rayna never did, all those years she was married to Teddy, those years when he felt like he couldn't go another day without holding her or he would die, he stayed for the sake of the music. Or at least that's what he told himself. They both knew better though.

##

The tumultuousness of the opening band is offset by the calmness that seems to surround Deacon and Rayna these days. It wasn't always this way, but it has been for a while now and they like it. They can just concentrate on their family and their music, and the music they've been writing has been great lately. They both feel like it's the best stuff they've ever written. It's only week two and they're halfway through a new album.

 **Day 5**

They're in Cleveland. At least that's what it said on the newspaper that Deacon picked up when he leaned outside the door to grab the breakfast tray this morning. He leaves the tray on the table and collapses back into bed stuffing a strawberry in his mouth. "How did we do this all these years," he grumbles. "I'm exhausted." Rayna rolls over and smiles at him, then brushes his hair out of his face. "You're exhausted because we were up until 3:00 in the morning enjoying each other's company." Deacon smiles remembering last night vividly. "Oh yeah." He leans over rolling Rayna on her back and kissing her deeply. "I thought you were exhausted?" she asks between kisses. Deacon runs his hand down her thigh and between her legs. He can never get enough of the two of them together like this. "Guess I just got my second wind."

##

Deacon and Rayna are nervous. They're rarely nervous up on stage, especially after being in the business for over 25 years, but tonight his boot has been tapping non-stop, and she keeps playing with her hair. They're debuting a new song, something they've also done dozens of times over the past three decades, but this one is different. It's the first song they've written together as husband and wife, and they filled it with promises and poetry that's dear to their hearts and their future. They want the world to love it as much as they do, but they'll settle for just those who are close to them.

##

There was no reason for Deacon and Rayna to be nervous. There's hardly been a duet they've done that the audience doesn't eat up, especially these days when their fans are entranced with their love story, following the couple as if they were characters on a nighttime soap. Scarlett said it was beautiful and Bucky said it was going to be a hit. Rayna gives a half smile in response and Deacon can tell something is wrong. He pulls her into the corner of the their dressing room. "What's wrong baby, they loved the song." She takes his hands in hers and looks up into his eyes. "I know babe, I'm glad, but now that it's out there, I kind of wish we'd kept it to ourselves." Deacon pulls Rayna into an embrace and rests his forehead against hers. "They can hear the song baby, but we're the only ones who feel it. No one can take that away from us." Deacon kisses her softly and her heart is practically bursting out of her chest. She's so glad that this wonderful man is forever hers.

 **Day 6**

Daphne and Maddie meet them on day two of Cleveland. Daphne is just ecstatic to be on the road with the band, Maddie wishes that they'd waited to meet up with them when they're going to be in New York. "Cleveland is so boring. There's nothing going on here," she complains. Deacon begins to tell his eldest that she's lucky that they flew them out here at all, when a cute guitar tech catches Maddie's eye and she disappears into the mass of roadies. "We won't see her until the end of the weekend," Rayna says as she leans into Deacon. "That guy is 23, we better see her every second that she's here," Deacon replies in his most fatherly tone. Rayna wraps her arms around him and kisses his cheek. This is what she's always wanted.

##

The girls are allowed to sing one song with them and one on their own. Rayna and Deacon suggest "A Life That's Good," but the girls opt for "We Got a Love" for the group song, then they sing "I've Got You" alone. Deacon and Rayna stand off to the side while the girls sing and watch in amazement at the girls their raising. "Can you believe they're ours?" Rayna asks. "I can't even believe I know them they're so talented." Deacon has his arms wrapped around Rayna's waist and he sings into her ear along with the music. "Some things are guaranteed, some things will always be." Rayna looks up at him and responds with the tag line "Oh, I've got you and you've got me."

 **Day 7**

It's family day. No press conferences, no sound checks, no concerts, no celebrity. Today is just about the family, and right now that family is arguing over what to do with their day. Deacon wants to show them the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but Maddie says museums are lame, even if they are about music. Daphne wants to hit a chocolate store that Rayna's make up artist told her has so many different kinds of truffles she can eat herself sick. Rayna doesn't care what they do as long as they're together and she can get one good picture of the four of them not on their phones. They end up staying in their pajamas on the big couch in the suite living room, watching movies, and ordering room service. Everyone agrees that Cleveland is their favorite city on the tour.


	3. Chapter 3

**Week 3**

 **Day 1**

The girls have gone back to Nashville. Rayna and Deacon put them on the private plane and watch as it barrels down the runway. Rayna silently cries, Deacon holds her tight. "You know we don't have to do these tours if you don't want to Ray." Rayna wipes off her tear stained cheek and turns in Deacon's arms so she's facing him. "No, it's fine, I'm just their mama, and it's hard to see them go." Rayna rests her head on Deacon's chest. Deacon realizes he's got a lot of comforting ahead of him when the girls go off to college.

##

They're driving through a cornfield on their way to Indianapolis when the bus breaks down. Deacon teases Bucky since all he did before the tour started was talk about the fancy new bus. "Guess a fancy interior doesn't do us much good when it don't go anywhere." Bucky responds that "it wouldn't be breaking down if you didn't stuff it full with all those extra guitars that just couldn't ride on the equipment truck." Rayna stays out of it, she loves these two men that have been with her for more than two decades and knows it's best to let them work it out themselves. She buries her head in her new issue of Marie Clare and waits for the mechanic to come.

##

They finally get into Indianapolis at Midnight. The show had to be cancelled to the dismay of 2500 ticket holders that were looking forward to hearing the couple play. Rayna hates when she has to cancel a show, especially now that it's her label that's bankrolling the tour. Deacon can tell that the business side of this is stressing her out. He also knows she's seemed more alive as an artist since she's been running Highway 65. Right now they're both dead tired, and are ecstatic to be near a bed, but he can tell Rayna's head is spinning and she won't be able to get to sleep. He grabs a bottle of lotion as he exits the hotel room bathroom. "Anyone want a massage?"

 **Day 2**

Because of the missed show yesterday, today's sold out show became standing room only. Rayna thinks it's exciting. Deacon thinks it must be a fire code violation to have that many people in the venue. Because of the crowds there seems to be less of a separation between the audience and the band, and Deacon worries about people getting a little too up close and personal with Rayna. He puts his arm around her as they walk through the hallway towards the stage, blocking off any of the "wrong kind of attention." Rayna complains that she doesn't need to be taken care of, but secretly she loves it.

##

After the concert it's Rayna that's a little worried about the crowds. She's chatting with a journalist from the Indy Star when she notices a bunch of twenty-something women with fake boobs and equally fake backstage passes surround Deacon as he packs up his guitars. It reminds her of the days when she was married to Teddy and she had to stand back and watch as one of those girls would inevitably end up in his bed. Back then it made her sick inside. Even though she knew that in the end he was hers, and she had nothing to worry about. She knows now that she still has nothing to worry about, but she excuses herself anyway, and makes her way over to Deacon wrapping her arm around _his_ waist.

 **Day 4**

It's snowing out when Deacon and Rayna wake up in Minneapolis. Snow comes often to this part of the country, unlike Nashville where more than a couple of inches all winter is rare. The local news says they've already gotten 7" and there should be at least 4 more. Rayna throws on the snow boots she bought in Aspen, and the down coat with the fur collar that she got last year when it was sub-zero temperatures in Tennessee. She runs back up the stairs of the penthouse to find out what's taking Deacon so long to get ready, and she finds him naked on the bed with his Gibson playing with some chords. The jacket and the boots end up in a pile on the floor.

##

They make it through half a song before the guitar slides off the side of the bed onto the discarded pillows below, and the only sounds that Deacon and Rayna hear are their own labored breaths and soft moans. It's times like this when they're close, when they've locked out everyone else in the world but each other, that she really feels like herself instead of the manufactured image of Rayna Jaymes. As she holds him in her arms, limbs tangled to the point where she's not sure anymore where she ends and he begins, she thinks about how close she was to losing him forever, and if she had, she wonders if she would have ever felt like herself again.

##

It's noon and they've finally made it outside. The snow boots and jacket are back on, and Rayna clings to the sleeve of Deacon's black pea coat as they walk through the silence that comes with a fresh snow. Back in Nashville everything would be closed in this kind of weather, but here most stores and restaurants are buzzing with activity. They slip into a diner that looks like it's been around since the 70s, and take a seat in a booth in the back, both on the same side. Rayna is still cuddled into Deacon's side when the waitress comes to take their order. She orders an egg white omelet and a coffee, he gets a stack of pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs. Rayna gives him a look that says 'really?' and Deacon flashes her a smile as he leans into her ear. "What? I need my energy for round two when we get back to the hotel." Rayna blushes and the waitress who isn't a country fan thinks what a nice looking couple they are.

 **Day 6**

They catch a break in the snow, and are able to fly out to the west coast for the next leg of the tour. They touch down in Seattle where they trade the white flakes for grey rain. "Why does it rain every time we're here?" Rayna asks. "It can't always be raining in Seattle." "I don't know," Deacon chimes in. "I kind of like the rain. Lends itself to writing melancholy love songs. Rayna shakes her head. "You and your brooding songs. Just once I'd like to see you write something happy while we're on tour." A week later Deacon ironically sings "Seattle Showers" at their show in LA. It stays on the pop charts for 18 weeks much to Deacon's chagrin, and it's his most requested song for years to come.

##

All the time on the road together has been good for them. Sometimes couples fall apart on the road. Everything is fine when they're at home and they can run off to their own space, but when they're locked together on a bus, or in a hotel room, or on a stage, the cracks begin to show. Not them though, Deacon and Rayna have always been better on the road, better together. Three weeks in and all the days trapped in small bus bunks and gigantic king size beds have brought them closer than ever. It's like the old days, but without all the fights about his drinking. They're gelling perfectly on stage together. They sing some of their old songs and a few of their new ones. They could be singing to three or three thousand, it wouldn't matter to them as long as they are singing to each other.

##

They go to the top of the space needle. It's touristy and silly, but they do it anyway. The rain has finally stopped and they want to be alone with the view, but someone has recognized them and asks if they'll take a picture with them. Deacon grumbles while Rayna puts on her best southern smile and let's the man put his sweaty arm around her as Deacon takes a selfie. When the man has thanked them and left Deacon presses her against the window and kisses her hard. "What if someone else comes up here?" Rayna asks. "They'll see us." Deacon runs his hands under her top and up her back. "So what, you think people don't make out up here all the time?" "Yeah well Molly and Billy Smith from Iowa aren't gonna get their picture on the internet if they're caught kissing up here." Deacon moves his lips down to her neck. "Who cares if people know we still want each other? Most people who've known each other as long as we have aren't having much sex these days. They'd just be jealous." Despite Rayna's verbal protesting she runs her fingers through his hair as he unbuttons her top two buttons giving him better access to her collarbone and shoulder. "What happened to wanting to keep our relationship private?" Rayna asks. Deacon moves his mouth up to her ear and sucks on her lobe sending shivers down her spine. "This is private," he whispers. "I'm privately telling you that I want to fuck you so badly." Rayna is contemplating the notion when all of a sudden footsteps can be heard coming up the final stairs to the observation deck. Deacon pulls away and Rayna buttons her top button again. She smiles at Deacon and laughs as he pretends to be taking a picture of the view. "Chicken," she says.

 **Day 7**

Rayna wakes up with a headache. She's not sure why she has one at first, then she remembers the shots of whiskey the roadies made her do when she and Deacon had gotten back to the hotel last night. She moans and rolls over to see that Deacon isn't lying beside her. Two minutes later he breezes into the room with some toast and a drink that looks half like tomato juice, and half like a milkshake. "What's that?" she asks. "Your breakfast," Deacon replies as he places it down on the bedside table. Rayna looks at the drink and her stomach turns. "I'm not drinking that." "Suit yourself, "Deacon says as he pulls back the curtains letting the sun stream into the room as Rayna covers her head with the pillow. "You don't have to drink it, but you should if you want to get rid of that hangover." "I don't have a hangover," she replies knowing he won't believe her for a second. "Alright, then I'll just take this away." Deacon reaches for the tray and Rayna stops him. "Okay, maybe I do have a hangover. Sorry baby." "No worries, you've nursed me through worse." Deacon walks out of the room and she hears him playing guitar on the couch in the living room. Rayna looks at the drink again and frowns, but then picks it up and drinks it. Her hangover is gone within the hour and she thanks Deacon properly.

##

The sun is setting as they drive down the Oregon coast toward California. Deacon makes them stop the bus so that Rayna and he can get off and stand on the cliffs overlooking the shore. He stands behind her and wraps her up in his arms. She shivers a bit and he warms her bare arms the best he can. "Why'd we stop here?" she asks. "It was just so goddamn beautiful, I wanted to share it with my wife." Rayna smiles and reaches back to touch his face. "It is the most beautiful sight," she sighs. "Now I didn't say that," he says as he pulls her closer against his body. "Nothing is more beautiful than you Ray. Nothing."


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry that this is so short, and that it's been so long since I've updated, but I'm in the process of moving, as well as working a ton, and binge watching a show on Netflix, all of which left me with no time to write. Hope you enjoy this quick chapter though.**

 **##**

 **Week 4**

 **Day 1**

They wake up in San Francisco. Rayna two hours before Deacon. She would have stayed in bed, cuddling into the warmth of his strong body, appreciating every second of their alone time, but this morning she is on a mission. She heads down to Chinatown walking through the large gate and up a steep hill past long lines of jade trinkets and embroidered fabrics. On another day she may have stopped to admire the pattern in some of the silks, but today is about Deacon. She stops in front of a red door and checks the address on her phone before ringing the bell. A slender man with an even thinner beard comes out and motions for her to come in without saying a word. Rayna climbs the metal staircase trying to avoid the grime on the wall that must be an inch thick. When she gets to the top of the stairs the man has left the door open revealing not much besides a kitchen table and a mattress. She contemplates turning and running back down the stairs, but then she sees it, a 1955 Gibson Super 400 blonde guitar. Rayna just stares at it for a second. It's like a breathtaking oasis in a sea of filth. "How much is it?" she asks. I could probably get $40k for it, but since it's for Claybourne I'll give it to you for $35k. Even someone with as much money as Rayna takes pause at the price, but Deacon had been talking about this guitar for 17 years, ever since he played it at a show out here. Rayna told the man then that if he ever wanted to sell it he should give her a call, and about three months ago he finally did. Rayna hands the man a check and he packs up the guitar for her. She decides to take a cab back to the hotel.

##

Deacon sits on stage with his friends, three members of the band and his best friend, his guitar. He feels most comfortable with himself when it's in his hands. He's never been the best at relating with people, but when he's got that guitar, he's the life of the party. He runs his fingers over the hard steel strings effortlessly. They'd treat another man cruelly, leaving him battered and bruised, but it's been a long and loving relationship between Deacon and these strings, filled with ups and downs, and he's got the calluses to protect him from the sharp edges.

It's also been a long and loving relationship with Rayna. Things that would have bruised and battered them in the past are easy to get through due to the callouses they've built up as well. He spies her walking into the theater, strawberry blond hair bouncing up and down against the suede shoulders of her jacket. Just a moment ago as he played the chords of a new ballad he wrote, he thought he had never experienced such beauty, then Rayna walked in, and he was reminded that he had.

##

Deacon and Rayna are alone in their room. He sits on the couch reading a book, she's in the bathroom taking a bubble bath. She emerges dressed in a robe and he can feel her presence before he even sees her. She is holding a guitar case. At first he thinks it's one of his, but as she places the case in front of him, he realizes he has never seen it before. "For you," she says softly, almost like a caress in this late hour. He looks into her warm blue eyes filled with love and anticipation, before undoing the latches on the warn case. He opens it up and he can hardly believe it. "You're too good to me," he stutters. "No," she replies as she lightly strokes his hair. "You bring me so much happiness, I just wanted to bring you some as well."

##

 **Day 3**

It's midnight and they're on the beach watching the waves crash along the shore. Rayna remembered to bring a blanket, Deacon remembered the M&Ms. Deacon lays back as he pops a handful in his mouth, and Rayna follows. Their heads are next to each other, barely touching and they hold hands between them. She listens to the sound of his breath, he traces the back of her hand with his thumb. This is a ritual, always has been, even through the years when she was married to Teddy. When they're in Santa Cruz they spend the night together at the beach. They don't talk while they're here, they never do. It's just about being in each other's presence amidst the magnitude that is the ocean and the world. They give themselves over to the night air just as they often give themselves over to each other.

The tide is high and licks at the edge of the blanket. Rayna's feet are hanging off and they get the slightest bit wet. She turns her head towards Deacon reaching for his face and kissing him. There are so many things that could be said at this moment, but they don't say anything, they don't need to. They each know what the other one is thinking, and it's just between them.

##

 **Day 4**

Rayna wakes up and rolls over. She reaches for Deacon but he is not there. She bypasses the shower, throws her mane of wild hair that really needed to be brushed, up in a messy bun, pulls on some clothing, and heads downstairs. They're staying in some trendy hotel with neon panels and furniture that never seems to have any edges. It doesn't fit the feel of the tour they're on at all, which is all about no frills. Suddenly she hears some music coming from a small room beside the hotel gym. She walks over and pushes open the door. The room is tiny, maybe it's even a utility closet. There's nothing in there besides a stool, and Deacon is sitting on it playing the guitar she bought him. "Figures you'd find the plainest place in the hotel," she laughs. Deacon looks up and knocks her dead with one of his smiles. A year later she suggest this place for their honeymoon.

##

They're at the theater rehearsing for tonight. Rayna wants to sing a new song they wrote, Deacon doesn't feel like it's ready yet. "You never feel like anything is ready," Rayna says in frustration. "I know a good song Ray, and it ain't a good song yet." At this moment Rayna hates Deacon. She hates him because she poured her heart and soul into the song and he's saying it isn't any good, she hates him because he has that smug look on his face, and most of all she hates him because she knows that he's right.

##

 **Day 5**

Rayna is wearing that see-through blouse again. He can't control himself when she wears it. He's told her not to wear it, because every time she does, he's totally distracted when they're on stage. He should be thinking of the lyrics to _I Shouldn't Love You_ , but all he's thinking about is the contour of her breast in that lacey black bra she has on. Then he starts to think about what it would be like to remove that bra and just have her bare breasts brushing against the gauzy fabric of the shirt. Soon the shirt is completely gone from the image in his mind and its _his hands_ that are lightly brushing against her nipples, making them erect. By now he's aching to get his mouth on her, so he starts to imagine his tongue licking and tasting the peaks that have formed under his calloused hands. He can hear the little moan that she'll let out, spurring him on. "Baby please love me tonight." But then he realizes that she's not moaning it, she's singing it, and they're on stage in front of 5,000 people, and it's his turn to sing a line…"Baby you know it isn't right. I just shouldn't love you." Few he thinks, and no one is the wiser, but then he catches a hint of her navel and he's lost again.

 **Day 7**

They're sleeping in again when the phone rings. Deacon pulls it under the pillow and looks at the caller ID. It's Maddie again. He picks it up and says hello. He can hear how excited she is to talk to him, not only because she said she was excited to talk to him, but she's practically bubbling over on the phone with things to share with him. He's excited too. He knows he hasn't been around as her father her whole life, but he can't imagine going through life without her anymore. In fact, he can barely remember a time now when she wasn't in his life. She tells him about school and how Jennifer let her drive her car in the parking lot, and how now all she wants is an Audi coupe. Deacon says she's more than welcome to buy whatever car she wants when she can pay for it like he did. Maddie is disappointed, but only for a moment, then she's on to telling him about something else.

Rayna rolls over and snuggles into him as he's listening. "Is everything alright?" she asks. "Couldn't be better," he replies.


End file.
